Holding device



May 21,' 1946. J, w ALB|N 2,400,861

HOLDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTR. JbEMfA/rl hf. AIM.

May 21, 1946. .1 w. ALBIN 2,400,801

HOLDING DEVICE P Filed Sept. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZJ/IE. E.

Patented May 21, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,400,801 p HOLDING DEVICE Jeremiah W. Albin, Babylon, N. Y.

Application September 30,

4 Claims. (Cl. 24-221) This invention relates to a holding device and refers more particularly to a lock adapted for use on airplanes andother movingvehicles as well as for a variety of other purposes.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a lock which is simple and inexpensive in construction and sturdy and reliable in operation, and which will withstand successfully vibrations and other shocks and `forces exerted upon it.

vention it was found desirable to combine a latching element having surfaces which are pressed by the key in the course of its locking andunlocking movements, with an elastic or 'resilient disk carrying the latching element and receiving the pressure exerted upon the latter. The disk is deformed under the influence of this pressure and resumes its original form when pressure ceases.

The disk may have the form of an'annular metal plate provided with uniformly spaced perforations, the webs between the perforations acting as resilient fingers which are depressed in the course of the locking and unlocking movements and which resume their original positions when the pressure ceases.

On the other hand, the disk may consist of leather or similar material which is deformed by pressure and which returns to its original position as soon as pressure is released.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings: l Figure 1 is a rear view of a lock constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the lock. Figure 3 is similar to Figure 1 and shows the lock on an enlarged scale in its locking position. Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 5.

l1943, Serial No. 504,403v

Figure 5 is a section along theV line 55-5 of Figure 3. p i i i Figure 6 shows the lock in side elevation.V Figure '7 shows the lockin a position in which the resilient disk is being' depressed from the position shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 8 illustrates the elastic disk.

Figure 9 shows the -key carried by the cover plate. Fig. 9a is an exploded perspective View of the latching member and frame shown in Fig. 1.

Figure l is a Vside elevation of a somewhat differently constructed lock.

Figure `11 shows a leather disk used `in the lock illustrated in Figure 10. Y

The lock illustrated in the Figures 1 to 9 is used in conjunction with a cover plate I and abase plate I6. i

As shown in Figure 9, thecoverplate I5 carries a key Il and is usedto hold that key.` For that purpose, the plate I5 comprises an inwardly bent p frustum-shaped portion I8 enclosing an openingflil and adapted to receive the frustumshaped portion 20 ofthe key I'I.`

The shank 2l of the key is cylindrical in form and carries a locking bar 22 which may have the form of a pin extending on opposite sides from the shank 2l. The central portion of the locking bar 22 may have corrugated surfaces 23 to facilitate the engagement between the locking bar 22 and the shank 2 I.

The key I 'I is providedwith an outer transverse groove 24 which may have a curved bottom 25. The groove 24 is adapted to receive any suitable instrument used for turning the key.

In the absence of such instrument, the circular shape of the bottom `25 of this groove will make it possible to turn the key by inserting an edge of a coin or any other suitable circular body into the groove 24.

The base plate I6 includes Va frustum-shaped portion 26 which is somewhat Wider than the portion I8 and which is adapted to be located over that portion. The frustum-shaped portion 26 encloses an opening 2l which is also larger than the corresponding opening I9 of the" plate I5. f

The latching member 23 which cooperates with the key I1 for locking-purposes, has a central sleeve 29 which is guided in the opening 21 and portion 23a from which a plate-like flange 6l extends. The central portion 28a has downwardly inclined surfaces M and 42.

Two recesses 3| and 32 are located diametri- Y cally opposite each other and in communication engaged by the locking bar 22 and which stops it at the end of its unlocking movement.

The stop 35 has a similar surface 36 stopping the opposite end of the locking bar in the course of this unlocking movement,

Two rills or grooves 31 and 3B are situated diametrically opposite each other and approximately at an angle of 90 to the recesses 3| and 32.

The side'surface 39 of the stop 33 merges into the groove 31 and serves as a stop for the locking bar in the course of its locking movement. A similar side surface 50 of the stop 34, arrests the opposite end of the bar 22 at the end of the locking movement.

VThe surface il extending between the greove 31 and the stop 34, is upon a higher level than the bottom of the groove 31, but lower than the upper surfaces of the stops 33 and 35. The surface 11:2 extending between the groove 38 and the stop 33 is also on a higher level than the bottom of the groove 38 and lower than the upper surfaces ofthe stops 33 and 34. The surfaces si and 42 are somewhat inclined downward in a direction toward the opening 30 and have level tracks 53 and i4 respectively for the projecting portions of the locking bar 22.

The locking bar 22- moves over the portions 133 the locking and unlocking movements and thereby exerts pressure upon the latching member 28.

The member 28 is prevented from turning by a frame 55 which includes a raised central portion 46- and two end portions 41 and 48. The end portions 51 and 584 are rmly connected to the base plate l by rivets 49 and 50.

The middle raised portion 55 of the frame ".45 has a central opening 5| which is preferably rectangular in form and which encloses the central portion 28a of the latching member 28 (Figure 3) in the horizontal plane just above the flange El (Figure 5).

The latching member 22 has two parallel side surfaces 52 and 53 which are located within the opening 5I and which may be engaged by the edges of the Webs 54 and 55 of the middle portion 5.5. Due to this arrangement, the turning of the latching member 28 is effectively prevented.

The latching member 28 has a plate-like ange 5i which extends from the central portion 28a of the latching member and the adjacent sleeve 29 Y(see Fig. 5) and which is located under the webs 54 and 55 of the frame 155. The outer edge of the flange 6| is circular in form and may be somewhat less in diameter than the outerv edges of the resilient disk 56 (see Fig. 3). As shown in Figure 5, the flange 5l has surfaces inclined toward the baseplate l5.

Y In accordance with the present invention, the resilient member or disc 55 is interposed between the latching member 28 and the portion 2S of the base plate i6.

The member 55 is illustrated separately in Figure 8 and is metallic and has the shape of an annular disc provided with uniformly disposed openings or perforations 51.

The openings 51 are so arranged that fingers or webs 58 are formed between them. The webs 58 are used to connect the inner ring portion 59 with the outer ring portion 6U.

As shown in Figure 5 and 1, the disk56 is placed upon the portion of the plate I6 with the inner portion 59 of the disk 5S engaging the upper edges of the portion 25. At the same time, the outer portions 6U of the disk55 are engaged by the outer edges of the flange 6l, constituting a part and i4 of the surfaces 4l and i2 in the course'of of the member 28. Thus, the resilient disk 56 is effectively interposed between the latching member 28 and the base plate I6. The disk 56 is made of such material, and the perforations 51 are so disposed, that the disk acts as a resilient element which is depressed in the course of the locking and unlocking movements of the key i1 and which is released at the end of these movements.

In the unlocked position, shown in Figure 1, the Vlocking bar 22 is located in the recesses 3l and 52. In order to lock the device, the key l1 is turned counterclockwise and the locking bar 22 is thereby caused to move upon the tracks 63 and M until the locking bar reaches the grooves 31 and 38. In the course of this locking movement, the locking bar presses against the latching member 28 and this member in turn bends the disk 56 in the manner illustrated in Figure '1.

When the locking bar 22 is moved beyond the tracks 0.13 and 44 and enters the grooves 31 and 38, its pressure upon the latching member 28 is released and then the resilient disk moves back into the position shown in Figure 5.

The webs 5S of the disk 56 act as resilient iingers allowing the required return movement of the disk.

In the construction shown in Figures l0 and vll, the above-described resilient disk is substivtilted by an elastic disk 12 which may be made of leather or similar elastic material and capable of returning to its original form after pressure is released. As shown in Figureic, the elastic, disk 'l5 is located between the flange 6l of the latching member 28 and the frustuIn-shaped portion 2G of the plate l5. In other respects this device is similar to the one previously described.

In the course of the locking and unlocking movements of the locking bar 22 of the key i1. the elastic disk 12 is compressed by the pressure of the bar 22 upon the member 23. The disk lil returns to its original position as soon as this pressure is released.

It is apparent that the examples shown above have been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that the above-described illustrations are subject to wide variations and modifications without departing from the scope or intent of the present invention. All of these variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A locking device, comprising in combination with a cover plate, and a base plate, a latching member having inclined surfaces adapted to be pressed by a locking bar in the course of its locking and unlocking movements, and having recesses adapted to receive said locking bar in its unlocked and locking positions, a locking frame enclosing said latching member, means engaging said locking frame and said base plate and firmly connecting said locking frame to said base plate, and a resilient disc located between said base plate and said latching member, and bearing on both, said disc being subjected to bending pressure in the course of said locking and unlocking movements. i

2. A locking device, comprising in combination with a cover plate, and a base plate, a latching member having inclined surfaces adapted to be pressed by a locking bar in the course of its locking and unlocking positions, and an annular meta1 disc located between said ibase plate and said latching member and bearing on both, said disc having perforations therein and being resilient by the locations of said perforations and the thickness of the disc, said disc being subjected to bending pressure in the course of said locking and unlocking movements.

3. A locking device, comprising in combination 'with a cover plate, and a base plate, said base plate having an opening therein through which a key is adapted to extend, a latching member having a central sleeve portion engaging the edges of said opening, said latching member having a middle portion and having recesses located close to said opening, said latching member further having inclined portions, said inclined portions being adapted to be depressed by a locking bar of the key in the course of its locking and unlocking movements, said recesses adapted to receive said locking bar in its unlocked position, and said latching member further having a circular ange portion having surfaces which are in the direction of said base plate, and an annular resilient disc having an inner portion carried by said base plate and an outer portion engaged by the inner 'surface of said circular flange,

3 whereby said resilient disc carriesl said latching member, said resilient disc being subjected to bending pressure in the course of said locking and unlocking movements.

4. A locking device comprising in combination with a cover plate, and a base plate having an opening formed therein, said base plate further having a raised portion enclosing said opening, a latching member having a central sleeve portion engaging the edges of said opening, a middle portion, a pair of outer inclined portions situated upon said middle portion on opposite sides thereof, two grooves formed in said middle portion and situated adjacent said inclined surfaces on opposite sides of the opening of the middle portion, 'said grooves adapted to receive a locking bar in its locking position, and cut-out portions formed in said middle portion and receiving Said locking bar in its unlocked portion, and a circular flange portion having surfaces which are inclined in the direction of said base plate, a locking frame having an opening to receive portions of said latching member, said last mentioned opening having portions rmly engaging said latching member so as to prevent rotation thereof, said locking frame further having portions firmly connected to said base plate, and an annular metallic disc having perforations formed therein and comprising an inner portion carried by the raised portion of said base plate and an outer portion engaged by the inner surfaces of said latching member, whereby said disc carries said inclined portions, said disc being subjected to bending pressure in the course of said locking and unlocking movements.

JEREMIAH W. ALBIN. 

